Hotspots homebuyers can’t get enough of

We all know Sydney's property market has taken hit after hit recently - but there are other lesser-known areas that are experiencing a sudden property boom.

That's according to Australian real estate experts, who claim that while investors may have deserted Sydney and Melbourne, their attention has turned to other regions across the country.

According to Daniel Walsh of investment buyer's agency Your Property Your Wealth, investment activity has now firmly shifted to Queensland.

"Net migration has now overtaken Melbourne due to the affordability that Brisbane has to offer," he explained.

"We're also seeing rising demand particularly in the housing sector in southeast Queensland where yields are high and jobs are increasing due to the amount of government expenditure around infrastructure which is attracting families to the Sunshine State.

"With Brisbane's population growth at 1.6 per cent and surrounding areas like Moreton Bay at 2.2 per cent, the Sunshine Coast at 2.7 per cent and Ipswich at 3.7 per cent, we are forecasting that Brisbane will be the standout performer over the next three to five years."

"Interest is strong in the Gold Coast across the board although there's more action on the south side in places like Tugun and Burleigh Heads," she said, adding there was also a notable trend towards Tasmania, Adelaide and pockets of NSW.

Investors might be turning their backs on Sydney — but plenty of other areas are booming. Picture: News Corp Australia

"In Tasmania, most activity is definitely taking place in Hobart, but it has shifted - a lot of the action was in the inner city, but it's now happening in the middle and outer ring suburbs, as well as in Launceston.

"Tweed Heads and Byron Bay (in NSW) have also had strong price growth at the moment," she said, adding that in Sydney, trendy inner-city suburbs like Paddington, the premium end of town and areas like Winston Hills in the city's west were defying the downward trend.

Mr Walsh said Sydney still remained a solid investment option in the long term - but stressed it was just not the right time to buy in the city due to its market cycle as well as lending constraints.

"While property prices in Sydney have softened by about 9 per cent this year, they are still high, which means it's not an affordable option for many investors," he said, noting the city's high buy-in prices coupled with relatively low rents made the yields quite unattractive.

"At this point in time, the high costs of entry as well as holding costs make it a location that should be avoided - but not forever," he said.

"The thing is, Sydney is still Sydney, which means that it will always be in demand.

"Its population is forecast to grow by some three million people in the decades ahead, plus it remains our nation's economic engine room."

He said the entire NSW economy remained "robust" with unemployment falling to 4.4 per cent last year, with Sydney's major infrastructure program also proving there was "much to be positive about" in Sydney.

"Sydney homeowners and investors who bought a number of years ago are still well ahead because they chose the optimal time to buy and they remain focused on the future," he said, adding the optimal time to re-enter the market probably wouldn't be for at least another year or two.

Queensland

In the Sunshine State, most activity has been centred around the South East and Gold Coast regions, with Brisbane, Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and Ipswich booming along with the Gold Coast, Tugun and Burleigh Heads.

Tasmania

In Tassie it's all about Hobart, although activity has spread beyond the inner city and into the middle and outer rings, while Launceston has also recorded solid interest.

South Australia

The entire South Australian capital is booming, although most activity is happening in the inner city and Adelaide Hills.

NSW

While many investors have deserted Sydney, areas such as Paddington and Winston Hills and the nearby Central Coast are doing well.

Other booming areas are further north in Tweed Heads and trendy Byron Bay.